GOP Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) on Tuesday called Joe Kent's resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Center over the war in Iran "good riddance," defending President Trump's decision to launch strikes against Tehran.
Kent, a former CIA officer who led the National Counterterrorism Center, submitted his resignation letter this week, writing that President Trump was "drawn into the fight by Israel" and that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States. The resignation has sparked debate within the Republican Party over the administration's Iran policy.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressives and some anti-war conservatives have echoed Kent's concerns about the Iran strikes. "Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran," Kent wrote in his resignation letter. "This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States."
Kent compared the situation to the Iraq War, writing: "This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again." Some progressive commentators have similarly questioned whether the threat was truly imminent, noting that Iran attacked U.S. facilities after the Trump administration launched strikes during diplomatic nuclear negotiations.
What the Right Is Saying
Bacon, who is not running for reelection, has been unafraid to publicly criticize Trump on certain policies but defended the Iran strikes. "Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans. Their EFP land mines were the deadliest in Iraq," Bacon wrote on X. "Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don't want it in our government."
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also criticized Kent, saying there was an imminent threat from Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters: "President Trump knew that if we didn't hit first, more Americans would be killed. It's that simple. He will ALWAYS put the safety and security of the American people above anything else."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has encouraged Trump's strikes on Iran. Taylor Budowich, Trump's former White House deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel, called Kent "a crazed egomaniac who was often at the center of national security leaks" and said his resignation was not principled but rather an attempt "to make a splash before getting canned."
What the Numbers Show
In recent weeks, Iran has attacked U.S. consulates in the United Arab Emirates, killed 13 U.S. servicemembers and injured 200, according to administration officials. The strikes have drawn comparisons to the Iraq War, which the Congressional Research Service estimates cost nearly 4,500 American lives and over $2 trillion.
Bacon noted that Iranian EFP (explosively formed penetrator) land mines were responsible for killing more than 1,000 Americans in Iraq. The Trump administration has maintained that Iran was planning additional attacks on U.S. assets, though intelligence assessments have not been made public.
Kent's resignation adds to internal Republican divisions over the Iran policy, following earlier debates over Trump's tariffs and administration support for Ukraine's war with Russia.
The Bottom Line
The resignation of a senior national security official over the Iran strikes highlights ongoing tensions within the GOP between 'America First' nationalists who oppose Middle East entanglement and establishment Republicans who support a more assertive foreign policy. Bacon's public criticism of Kent signals that some Republicans are willing to defend the administration's Iran military action, even as conservative critics like Kent argue it contradicts Trump's 2024 campaign promises. The administration has maintained the strikes were necessary to prevent imminent threats to American personnel and assets.